How did Australia take the lead back from Korea in their APBC game?

Clayton Campbell tied the game with a two-run homer off reliever Park Jeong-min in the eighth. In the ninth, Alex Hall scored on Chris Burke’s double, and Max Durrington doubled home Burke to make it 8-6.

How did Korea rally from a 4-0 deficit against Australia?

Kim Ju-won began Korea’s six-run sixth with a two-run homer. Three consecutive walks loaded the bases, and Kim Whee-jip hit a bases-clearing double before Park Jae-hyun added an RBI single.

What is the APBC format, and how does the tournament determine its final standings?

The tournament features Korea, Japan, Australia and Taiwan in round-robin play. The two lowest-ranked teams meet in the third-place game, and the top two advance to the final; both games are scheduled for Sunday.

S. Korea falls to Australia to open regional baseball tournament

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Summary

Korea lost 7-8 to Australia at Tokyo Dome on Thursday in its opening game of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship. After falling behind 4-0, Korea took a 6-4 lead with a six-run sixth inning, but Australia scored four runs over the final two innings. Korea will face Japan at 7 p.m. Friday and Taiwan at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Key Facts

The APBC is for players aged 24 or younger or those with no more than three years of professional experience, and each team may include up to three players aged 24 to 29.
Japan won the first two editions of the tournament, with Korea finishing runner-up both times.
Kim Do-yeong led the Korea Baseball Organization with 45 home runs this year.
The two lowest-ranked teams after round-robin play will meet in the third-place game at 11 a.m. Sunday, while the top two will play the final at 7 p.m. Sunday.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 12, 2026 4:50 pm KST

Kim Ju-won of South Korea gestures to teammates after hitting a two-run home run during the bottom of the sixth inning of a game between South Korea and Australia at the Asia Professional Baseball Championship in Tokyo, Japan, Thursday. AP-Yonhap

Korea lost to Australia 7-8 in its first game of a regional baseball tournament in Tokyo on Thursday as its comeback effort went for naught.

Korea rallied from a 4-0 deficit to take a 6-4 lead, only to give up four runs over the final two innings in the teams' first game of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) at Tokyo Dome.

This is the third edition of the tournament, which also features the host country Japan and Taiwan. Japan won the first two editions, with Korea finishing as the runner-up on both occasions.

The APBC is for players aged 24 years and younger or those with no more than three years of professional experience. Teams can each take up to three players who are between 24 and 29 years old.

Korea, made up mostly of young Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) stars, will next face Japan at 7 p.m. Friday and then Taiwan at 7 p.m. Saturday. After round-robin play, the two worst teams will square off in the third-place game at 11 a.m. Sunday, and the top two nations will clash in the final at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Australia opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, courtesy of Blake Cavill's three-run home run off starter Kim Min-jun.

The Australian lead grew to 4-0 on Chris Burke's RBI single off new pitcher Cho Dong-uk.

But Korea erased that deficit with a six-spot in the sixth.

Kim Ju-won sparked the rally with a two-run homer off Cooper Morgan. Then three straight walks loaded the bases for Kim Whee-jip, who cleared the bases with a double that gave Korea a 5-4 lead.

Park Jae-hyun then greeted new pitcher Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis with an RBI single as Korea took a 6-4 lead.

Australia tied the game in the top of the eighth as Clayton Campbell launched a two-run homer off reliever Park Jeong-min, Korea's fifth pitcher of the game.

In the ninth, Australia opened up an 8-6 lead against the next pitcher, Choi Jun-yong.

Alex Hall led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, Burke's ringing double to right-center field scored Hall for a 7-6 lead.

Choi retired Cavill on a flyout but failed to get past Max Durrington, who doubled home Burke to put Australia ahead 8-6.

Korea had runners at second and third with one out in the bottom of the ninth, a promising rally with the heart of its lineup coming up. Kim Do-yeong, who led the KBO with 45 home runs this year, delivered a sacrifice fly to cut the Australian lead to 8-7. But with the tying run standing at third, Ahn Hyun-min popped out to second baseman Byron Armstrong to end the game.

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